RJ03 -Reflective Journal Entry 3- Due Saturday, February 20,2010
Choose an inquiry activity that you will use for your informal assessment review.
Explain what science practice(s) it will teach and how you plan to assess them.
Starch Production Through Photosynthesis
In this lab, students will be able to see the contrast between parts of a leaf that have photosynthesized and parts that have not. They will observe that areas of a leaf that receive light are able to photosynthesize to produce glucose (and eventually starch), while areas of a leaf that do not receive light cannot photosynthesize and thus do not produce glucose. This visual image will help students see and understand the results of photosynthesis.
They will be performing two parts to this lab activity: one where they will be following a procedure and another where they will be creating their own procedure which will test another factor that affects photosynthesis. This will require them to form their own hypothesis and adjust it as they move through the activity.
Before going over the section in the text book for viruses in entirety.
1. Students will be asked to list in their journal characteristics of living organisms (What makes an organism be classified as "living)
2. Next, we will briefly discuss these characteristics through a class discussion. We can compare these characteristics to a flame.
3. Finally, I will ask students to decide based on the checks/minuses (which characteristics a flame has) that if an object/organism has some but not all, is it living or non-living.
4. They will have to do the same thing by determining if a virus is living or non-living
5. Students will go to the computer lab and be expected to complete a "CDC FACT SHEET" which students will have to do their own research on a particular virus which they have signed up for to answer the following:
1. what type of virus is this
2. draw and label the virus
3. what is the anatomy of a virus (what shape, what kind of nucleic acid it contains)
4. what are the modes of transmission
5. what are the signs and symptoms
6. what tests diagnos these viruses
7. has it caused an endemic, epidemic or pandemic
8. what are the treatments (drugs, vaccinations, preventative, relieve or cure)
9. historical impact of virus
10. country of origin
11. mortality rate
each student must complete this 2 sided-fact sheet on their virus. After completion, I will put these viruses together to make a CDC Medical Reference book and photocopy the book so that 1 table gets a book.
Using the book and the information on the cdc fact sheets, students in the group must determine the answers to the following questions (informal assessment which will replace notes)
3 shapes of virus
what does neurotropic, dermotropic, viscerotropic and pneumotropic mean?
what type of nucleic acid it a virus will contain
if it is uni cellular, multi cellular or non-cellular (and its structure)
modes of viral transmission
the difference between signs and symptoms?
What is the difference between en,epi,pandemics?
how viruses are killled or are they simply treated
what a lytic viruses v. latent virus means
To take this a step further................(formal assessments)
Students will be given a quiz where in groups, they will have to diagnose 10 patients by reviewing medical records (patient admission records) which tell a back story, patient info including pulse, blood pressure, weight, height, and signs/sympoms, diagnostic test ordered.
The group will use this medical reference book (full of each students CDC fact sheets) to diagnose one patient at a time. Each group is handed a folder that looks like an actual medical record. They must talk it throught, utilize the book to properly diagnose the student based on the information in the medical chart. Once they are completed, they will turn in the patient medical chart and they will be given another.
This activity allows students to engage in an inquiry activity & performance assessment. They will learn how to perform their own research, determine what sources of information are valid and reliable, determine what information is more important than other pieces. It allows students to make connections to a topic that is very much relevant, use it to make predictions and inferences.
Choose an inquiry activity that you will use for your informal assessment review.
The activity I will be using as my inquiry assignment is the project on building bridges that I recently completed with my seventh grade students at Scituate Middle School. This is a portion of a unit on earthquakes and catastrophic events. Students are required to plan, model, and construct a bridge that would be able to withstand an earthquake. Each student is also responsible for daily writing in a journal which could be used as an informal assessment of student progress as well as what students are taking away from the project.
Explain what science practice(s) it will teach and how you plan to assess them.
Students will be using the scientific method throughout the building process, through testing, observing, questioning and hypothesizing.
Students will be communicating their findings through the final "write up" they will complete for this project which will include their building plans, observations, adaptations, and progress as well as whether or not their bridge was successful after testing
Students can do this assignment in one of 3 ways, PowerPoint, PhotoStory, or Traditional Write up.
Investigating Photosynthesis and Respiration through Kinesthetics and Inquiry
Purpose: To provide middle or high school students with a situation in which they can explore the relationship between photosynthesis and respiration.
Objectives: Part I Students will be able to: · recognize the photosynthesis equation is basically the respiration equation “backwards.” · realize that the very same carbon molecules that heterotrophs breathe out are the carbon molecules that make up the backbone of the glucose molecule. · write the equations for photosynthesis and respiration with coefficients and subscripts
Procedure: Part I. Kinesthetic activity. Each student is given the role of a molecule of carbon, hydrogen, or oxygen. Depending on the size of your class, some students may need to be assigned the role of two molecules of the same element. For example, you may need to give one student two “H’s” instead of one “H.” If you have a large open area in your classroom, you can conduct this part of the activity inside. Otherwise, you will need to plan to go outdoors, into the hallway, or even to the school gymnasium or cafeteria.
Once you arrive at your destination, hold up the poster board with the equation for photosynthesis facing the students. First, instruct the students to position themselves so that they represent the reactants of the photosynthesis equation. (Remember to assign a student to the role of “sun,” “+” and “yields”.) Once students have gotten into the correct positions give each group of molecules the name of the substance that they represent (carbon dioxide or water).
Next, have the students position themselves so that they represent the products of the photosynthesis equation. Once the students have positioned themselves correctly give each group of molecules the name of the substance they represent (glucose or oxygen). The idea is that students will realize that the very same carbon atoms that make up carbon dioxide make up the backbone for the glucose molecule. Now hold up the respiration equation. First have the students position themselves to represent the reactants for respiration. Again, when they are correctly positioned, give the names of the substances that they represent to the groups of molecules (oxygen and glucose).
Next, have the students position themselves so that they represent theproducts of the respiration equation. Once the students have positioned themselves, give the groups of molecules the names of the substances they represent (carbon dioxide and water).
I like this activity as an inquiry activity because it visually and kinesthetically shows the students that the reactants become the products, and that cellular respiration is basically just the backwards reaction of photosynthesis. I feel that it is important for students to discover this concept through inquiry, because the students are more likely to understand and grasp the concept.
The science practice this teaches is the concepts of the photosynthesis reaction and cellular respiration reaction, through discovery and inquiry. These are major concepts in biology. I feel that this is a very important concept for students to understand because many more topics stem from this.
I plan to assess the students of understanding of these concepts through a series of informal and formal assessments which include asking review questions, filling in a photosynthesis concept map, playing a review game for this chapter, and finally a chapter test.
This is a lab that the students will be performing. This lab get's them to investigate the cells membrane and explore its semi-permeability. Materials that will be provided to the students will be 2 medicine droppers, a microscope slide, forceps, cover slip, microscope, salt solution, fresh water, paper towel, elodea leaf. Students will be instructed to examine the effects of salt water on the elodea leaf.
Science Practices
The students will have already received instruction on how to make a wet mount slide. The students should also have received some background knowledge on the cell's membrane. This inquiry assignment will let them use their prior knowledge and create a hypothesis based on that prior knowledge. They will have to write their own procedure to test their hypothesis and explain and diagram their experiment. Their grade will be based on the following:
20% Hypothesis: Is their hypothesis an educated guess, not just a statement of what they think will happen?
20% Procedure: Does their procedure allow them to test their hypothesis?
20% Data: Did they diagram what they saw and follow the proper guidelines for scientific sketching?
20% Conclusion: Did they make a conclusion based on their evidence; did it agree or disagree with their hypothesis
20% Participation: Are they working well in class, following directions, thinking for themselves.
The point of this inquiry activity is to get students to observe how the cell can be affected by the environment around it. The students get practice with hypothesizing and conducting their own investigations. This affords them the opportunity to "think like a scientist" and not just follow laboratory instructions.
The radiometer lab recently took place over about a week's worth of classes. Students were first given a radiometer, and a flashlight and asked to experiment with different positions of the flashlight and radiometer. Students were responsible for making observations of what they saw happening. They were also responsible for generating some questions based on their observations and what they were wondering about the set-up or radiometer itself. Classes then generated lists of things, using the radiometer, that they felt they could measure and quantify, the lists were shared out. Students were then asked to break down their questions into "testable" and "researchable" categories. What questions could they conduct an experiment about and receive quantifiable data? What questions could they simply research or google to find the answer?
Focusing in on their list of "testable" questions, students were then given a list of materials they would have available to them in order to set-up and conduct an experiment. Groups of students picked the question they wanted to test and began designing an experiment. Throughout this step and before, the teacher's role was more of a facilitator, bouncing around and helping groups think more deeply about the questions they had created, pointing out different ways that the materials could be used, and making sure that, according to time and material restraints, all the experiments the students were deciding to conduct were reasonable and possible.
The class was then given guidelines on scientific procedure writing, and asked to write the procedures for their experiment, using 3 different variables. Students were also asked to create a data table that would help them to organize the data they wished to collect. Procedures and data tables were approved by a teacher before the experimenting began.
Upon completion of data collections students were given guidance on why a conclusion should be written at the end of an experiment, and what should be included in a scientific conclusion. Students began writing their conclusions.
Students will not only be graded based on the procedure, and conclusion they submit for grading, they have also been receiving classwork grades each day of the experiment. Students were given classwork evaluations and asked to reflect on their group and individual work. Classwork grades truly helped to keep groups focused and productive, with grades based on cooperation, appropriate use of materials, productivity, and keeping in their groups, not distracting others.
Science Practices
This lab introduced students to the REAL scientific process, rather than just the scientific method that is taught each year. We really tried to express the importance of why each part of the lab report was important to the scientific process. This wasn't just a cookbook lab that we were asking students to complete so that they would have another grade in the book, this was more of an introduction to the processes, and methods true scientists use each day. How we share information, how we want others to be able to duplicate our experiment and hopefully back up our results.
RJ03 - Describe the inquiry activity you will use for your informal assessment review. Explain what science practice(s) it will teach and how you plan to assess them.
For my informal assessment, I am using an inquiry activity that I 'NeCaped' to give students practice with these types of assignments. This is the first time that the students are seeing this format, so they will need a lot of instruction on the format to perform successfully on this activity. The inquiry activity is given to the students at the beginning of the Forces unit. Before this point, students have to knowledge of this topic other than any prior knowledge they may have obtained. The activity sheet contains some important background information, and asks the students to design a balloon powered car that will be faster than all of the other students' cars. Students are given one day to write their predictions, brainstorm their designs, and start to build their prototype. On the second day, they finish their design and do their first set of trials. At this point students are allowed to analyze their designs and make appropriate changes to their car. On the third day, students finish up their final trials and begin their conclusions (Homework if not completed).
This activity gives the students practice with inquiry activities, and teaches them about appropriate scientific writing. On top of scientific thinking, and writing, students will learn the fundamental ideas about forces and Newton's laws of motion through manipulations on their cars. Because this is the first time students are seeing this format, they will be graded a little less strictly. This lab is given 20 points. The prediction is given 6 points- 2 For each of the 3 required predictions. Each prediction should contain one variable, be logical, and have an explanation of reasoning. 3 Points are given for the analyzing data section. This contains two tables that represent the relationships between force, mass, and speed. Students are to refer to the tables in their writings, and explain the relationships between force, mass and speed in each table. 2 points are given for each of the results tables (4 total). Students must calculate their speeds and include units with their numbers. 2 Points are also given for students' explanations of the changes they made to their care and why they made them. Finally, 5 points are given for the conclusions. Students are required to restate the problem, reference their predictions and state their correctness, and explain what happened. Students are also required to provide data from their results tables to back up their reasoning. They should also include a concluding statement answering the question "What advice would I give to my younger brother/sister that had to perform this assignment in the future?". Points will be taken off for anythings missing from the requirements.
Describe the inquiry activity you will use for your informal assessment review. Explain what science practice(s) it will teach and how you plan to assess them. One inquiry activity that I will use is the following, which Mickey and I have found and re-created to fit our specific classroom needs and objectives. Investigating Photosynthesis and Respiration through Kinesthetics and Inquiry Purpose: To provide middle or high school students with a situation in which they can explore the relationship between photosynthesis and respiration. Objectives: Part I Students will be able to: ·recognize the photosynthesis equation is basically the respiration equation “backwards.” ·realize that the very same carbon molecules that heterotrophs breathe out are the carbon molecules that make up the backbone of the glucose molecule. ·write the equations for photosynthesis and respiration with coefficients and subscripts Procedure: Part I. Kinesthetic activity. Each student is given the role of a molecule of carbon, hydrogen, or oxygen. Depending on the size of your class, some students may need to be assigned the role of two molecules of the same element. For example, you may need to give one student two “H’s” instead of one “H.” If you have a large open area in your classroom, you can conduct this part of the activity inside. Otherwise, you will need to plan to go outdoors, into the hallway, or even to the school gymnasium or cafeteria. Once you arrive at your destination, hold up the poster board with the equation for photosynthesis facing the students. First, instruct the students to position themselves so that they represent the reactants of the photosynthesis equation. (Remember to assign a student to the role of “sun,” “+” and “yields”.) Once students have gotten into the correct positions give each group of molecules the name of the substance that they represent (carbon dioxide or water). Next, have the students position themselves so that they represent the products of the photosynthesis equation. Once the students have positioned themselves correctly give each group of molecules the name of the substance they represent (glucose or oxygen). The idea is that students will realize that the very same carbon atoms that make up carbon dioxide make up the backbone for the glucose molecule.Now hold up the respiration equation. First have the students position themselves to represent the reactants for respiration. Again, when they are correctly positioned, give the names of the substances that they represent to the groups of molecules (oxygen and glucose). Next, have the students position themselves so that they represent theproducts of the respiration equation. Once the students have positioned themselves, give the groups of molecules the names of the substances they represent (carbon dioxide and water). I like this activity as an inquiry activity because it visually and kinesthetically shows the students that the reactants become the products, and that cellular respiration is basically just the backwards reaction of photosynthesis.I feel that it is important for students to discover this concept through inquiry, because the students are more likely to understand and grasp the concept. The science practice this teaches is the concepts of the photosynthesis reaction and cellular respiration reaction, through discovery and inquiry.These are major concepts in biology.I feel that this is a very important concept for students to understand because many more topics stem from this. I plan to assess the students of understanding of these concepts through a series of informal and formal assessments which include asking review questions, filling in a photosynthesis concept map, playing a review game for this chapter, and finally a chapter test.
I will have the students utilize their prior knowledge of gel electrophoresis (previous period) and tackle an inquiry activity that allows them to solve a mystery based by evaluating DNA samples. The students will have the DNA of fish poachers. One of the fisherman worked in a restricted area. DNA was collected from the restricted area. Having multiple samples of DNA, the students will have to utilize their prior knowledge of the structure of DNA as well as the function of gel electrophoresis to solve this mystery.
In terms of scientific practices, the students will have to create questions that will allow them to formulate a hypothesis (who did it?). The students will also need to have an understanding of the effect of contamination of lab equipment on results. The students will have to utilize their knowledge of the DNA structure when analyzing the results. The students will also have ask the appropriate questions if they do not obtain the results that are consistent with their hypothesis. Ultimately, the students are using this lab to create a product, a gel with multiple DNA samples that have separated under electrophoresis. With this data, the students will have to analyze the separation patterns and form a conclusion about the fisherman who worked in the restricted area.
I will evaluate the students by having the students complete a take-home test that evaluates their comprehension and application of DNA technology for practical purposes. From the results of the gel electrophoresis activity, the students will have to investigate the DNA samples of the suspects and compare it to the DNA sample found at the scene. On the test, the students will be asked to outline their scientific thinking (questions, hypothesis, analysis of results, extrapolation and conclusion) from start to finish.
I think I'm going to do an inquiry activity on molecular geometry in my Chem A classes. In this activity the students would be given the molecular models to work with and figure out the different shapes of molecules. The students will figure out the different shapes of molecules for compounds of 2-5 elements then will use their knowledge to describe why there are different shapes. Through this experiment the students will practice asking and answering their own questions. They will learn how to investigate a problem and create a scientific experiment.
RJ03 -Reflective Journal Entry 3- Due Saturday, February 20,2010
Starch Production Through Photosynthesis
In this lab, students will be able to see the contrast between parts of a leaf that have photosynthesized and parts that have not. They will observe that areas of a leaf that receive light are able to photosynthesize to produce glucose (and eventually starch), while areas of a leaf that do not receive light cannot photosynthesize and thus do not produce glucose. This visual image will help students see and understand the results of photosynthesis.
They will be performing two parts to this lab activity: one where they will be following a procedure and another where they will be creating their own procedure which will test another factor that affects photosynthesis. This will require them to form their own hypothesis and adjust it as they move through the activity.
Before going over the section in the text book for viruses in entirety.
1. Students will be asked to list in their journal characteristics of living organisms (What makes an organism be classified as "living)
2. Next, we will briefly discuss these characteristics through a class discussion. We can compare these characteristics to a flame.
3. Finally, I will ask students to decide based on the checks/minuses (which characteristics a flame has) that if an object/organism has some but not all, is it living or non-living.
4. They will have to do the same thing by determining if a virus is living or non-living
5. Students will go to the computer lab and be expected to complete a "CDC FACT SHEET" which students will have to do their own research on a particular virus which they have signed up for to answer the following:
1. what type of virus is this
2. draw and label the virus
3. what is the anatomy of a virus (what shape, what kind of nucleic acid it contains)
4. what are the modes of transmission
5. what are the signs and symptoms
6. what tests diagnos these viruses
7. has it caused an endemic, epidemic or pandemic
8. what are the treatments (drugs, vaccinations, preventative, relieve or cure)
9. historical impact of virus
10. country of origin
11. mortality rate
each student must complete this 2 sided-fact sheet on their virus. After completion, I will put these viruses together to make a CDC Medical Reference book and photocopy the book so that 1 table gets a book.
Using the book and the information on the cdc fact sheets, students in the group must determine the answers to the following questions (informal assessment which will replace notes)
3 shapes of virus
what does neurotropic, dermotropic, viscerotropic and pneumotropic mean?
what type of nucleic acid it a virus will contain
if it is uni cellular, multi cellular or non-cellular (and its structure)
modes of viral transmission
the difference between signs and symptoms?
What is the difference between en,epi,pandemics?
how viruses are killled or are they simply treated
what a lytic viruses v. latent virus means
To take this a step further................(formal assessments)
Students will be given a quiz where in groups, they will have to diagnose 10 patients by reviewing medical records (patient admission records) which tell a back story, patient info including pulse, blood pressure, weight, height, and signs/sympoms, diagnostic test ordered.
The group will use this medical reference book (full of each students CDC fact sheets) to diagnose one patient at a time. Each group is handed a folder that looks like an actual medical record. They must talk it throught, utilize the book to properly diagnose the student based on the information in the medical chart. Once they are completed, they will turn in the patient medical chart and they will be given another.
This activity allows students to engage in an inquiry activity & performance assessment. They will learn how to perform their own research, determine what sources of information are valid and reliable, determine what information is more important than other pieces. It allows students to make connections to a topic that is very much relevant, use it to make predictions and inferences.
Purpose:
To provide middle or high school students with a situation in which they can explore the relationship between photosynthesis and respiration.
Objectives:
Part I
Students will be able to:
· recognize the photosynthesis equation is basically the respiration equation “backwards.”
· realize that the very same carbon molecules that heterotrophs breathe out are the carbon molecules that make up the backbone of the glucose molecule.
· write the equations for photosynthesis and respiration with coefficients and subscripts
Procedure:
Part I. Kinesthetic activity. Each student is given the role of a molecule of carbon, hydrogen, or oxygen. Depending on the size of your class, some students may need to be assigned the role of two molecules of the same element. For example, you may need to give one student two “H’s” instead of one “H.” If you have a large open area in your classroom, you can conduct this part of the activity inside. Otherwise, you will need to plan to go outdoors, into the hallway, or even to the school gymnasium or cafeteria.
Once you arrive at your destination, hold up the poster board with the equation for photosynthesis facing the students. First, instruct the students to position themselves so that they represent the reactants of the photosynthesis equation. (Remember to assign a student to the role of “sun,” “+” and “yields”.) Once students have gotten into the correct positions give each group of molecules the name of the substance that they represent (carbon dioxide or water).
Next, have the students position themselves so that they represent the products of the photosynthesis equation. Once the students have positioned themselves correctly give each group of molecules the name of the substance they represent (glucose or oxygen). The idea is that students will realize that the very same carbon atoms that make up carbon dioxide make up the backbone for the glucose molecule. Now hold up the respiration equation. First have the students position themselves to represent the reactants for respiration. Again, when they are correctly positioned, give the names of the substances that they represent to the groups of molecules (oxygen and glucose).
Next, have the students position themselves so that they represent the products of the respiration equation. Once the students have positioned themselves, give the groups of molecules the names of the substances they represent (carbon dioxide and water).
I like this activity as an inquiry activity because it visually and kinesthetically shows the students that the reactants become the products, and that cellular respiration is basically just the backwards reaction of photosynthesis. I feel that it is important for students to discover this concept through inquiry, because the students are more likely to understand and grasp the concept.
The science practice this teaches is the concepts of the photosynthesis reaction and cellular respiration reaction, through discovery and inquiry. These are major concepts in biology. I feel that this is a very important concept for students to understand because many more topics stem from this.
I plan to assess the students of understanding of these concepts through a series of informal and formal assessments which include asking review questions, filling in a photosynthesis concept map, playing a review game for this chapter, and finally a chapter test.
Informal Assessment Inquiry
"Now you see it - Now you don't"
Description of Inquiry Assignment:
This is a lab that the students will be performing. This lab get's them to investigate the cells membrane and explore its semi-permeability. Materials that will be provided to the students will be 2 medicine droppers, a microscope slide, forceps, cover slip, microscope, salt solution, fresh water, paper towel, elodea leaf. Students will be instructed to examine the effects of salt water on the elodea leaf.Science Practices
The students will have already received instruction on how to make a wet mount slide. The students should also have received some background knowledge on the cell's membrane. This inquiry assignment will let them use their prior knowledge and create a hypothesis based on that prior knowledge. They will have to write their own procedure to test their hypothesis and explain and diagram their experiment. Their grade will be based on the following:20% Hypothesis: Is their hypothesis an educated guess, not just a statement of what they think will happen?
20% Procedure: Does their procedure allow them to test their hypothesis?
20% Data: Did they diagram what they saw and follow the proper guidelines for scientific sketching?
20% Conclusion: Did they make a conclusion based on their evidence; did it agree or disagree with their hypothesis
20% Participation: Are they working well in class, following directions, thinking for themselves.
The point of this inquiry activity is to get students to observe how the cell can be affected by the environment around it. The students get practice with hypothesizing and conducting their own investigations. This affords them the opportunity to "think like a scientist" and not just follow laboratory instructions.
-Radiometer Lab-
Description of Assignment:
The radiometer lab recently took place over about a week's worth of classes. Students were first given a radiometer, and a flashlight and asked to experiment with different positions of the flashlight and radiometer. Students were responsible for making observations of what they saw happening. They were also responsible for generating some questions based on their observations and what they were wondering about the set-up or radiometer itself. Classes then generated lists of things, using the radiometer, that they felt they could measure and quantify, the lists were shared out. Students were then asked to break down their questions into "testable" and "researchable" categories. What questions could they conduct an experiment about and receive quantifiable data? What questions could they simply research or google to find the answer?
Focusing in on their list of "testable" questions, students were then given a list of materials they would have available to them in order to set-up and conduct an experiment. Groups of students picked the question they wanted to test and began designing an experiment. Throughout this step and before, the teacher's role was more of a facilitator, bouncing around and helping groups think more deeply about the questions they had created, pointing out different ways that the materials could be used, and making sure that, according to time and material restraints, all the experiments the students were deciding to conduct were reasonable and possible.
The class was then given guidelines on scientific procedure writing, and asked to write the procedures for their experiment, using 3 different variables. Students were also asked to create a data table that would help them to organize the data they wished to collect. Procedures and data tables were approved by a teacher before the experimenting began.
Upon completion of data collections students were given guidance on why a conclusion should be written at the end of an experiment, and what should be included in a scientific conclusion. Students began writing their conclusions.
Students will not only be graded based on the procedure, and conclusion they submit for grading, they have also been receiving classwork grades each day of the experiment. Students were given classwork evaluations and asked to reflect on their group and individual work. Classwork grades truly helped to keep groups focused and productive, with grades based on cooperation, appropriate use of materials, productivity, and keeping in their groups, not distracting others.
Science Practices
This lab introduced students to the REAL scientific process, rather than just the scientific method that is taught each year. We really tried to express the importance of why each part of the lab report was important to the scientific process. This wasn't just a cookbook lab that we were asking students to complete so that they would have another grade in the book, this was more of an introduction to the processes, and methods true scientists use each day. How we share information, how we want others to be able to duplicate our experiment and hopefully back up our results.
For my informal assessment, I am using an inquiry activity that I 'NeCaped' to give students practice with these types of assignments. This is the first time that the students are seeing this format, so they will need a lot of instruction on the format to perform successfully on this activity. The inquiry activity is given to the students at the beginning of the Forces unit. Before this point, students have to knowledge of this topic other than any prior knowledge they may have obtained. The activity sheet contains some important background information, and asks the students to design a balloon powered car that will be faster than all of the other students' cars. Students are given one day to write their predictions, brainstorm their designs, and start to build their prototype. On the second day, they finish their design and do their first set of trials. At this point students are allowed to analyze their designs and make appropriate changes to their car. On the third day, students finish up their final trials and begin their conclusions (Homework if not completed).
This activity gives the students practice with inquiry activities, and teaches them about appropriate scientific writing. On top of scientific thinking, and writing, students will learn the fundamental ideas about forces and Newton's laws of motion through manipulations on their cars. Because this is the first time students are seeing this format, they will be graded a little less strictly. This lab is given 20 points. The prediction is given 6 points- 2 For each of the 3 required predictions. Each prediction should contain one variable, be logical, and have an explanation of reasoning. 3 Points are given for the analyzing data section. This contains two tables that represent the relationships between force, mass, and speed. Students are to refer to the tables in their writings, and explain the relationships between force, mass and speed in each table. 2 points are given for each of the results tables (4 total). Students must calculate their speeds and include units with their numbers. 2 Points are also given for students' explanations of the changes they made to their care and why they made them. Finally, 5 points are given for the conclusions. Students are required to restate the problem, reference their predictions and state their correctness, and explain what happened. Students are also required to provide data from their results tables to back up their reasoning. They should also include a concluding statement answering the question "What advice would I give to my younger brother/sister that had to perform this assignment in the future?". Points will be taken off for anythings missing from the requirements.
One inquiry activity that I will use is the following, which Mickey and I have found and re-created to fit our specific classroom needs and objectives.
Investigating Photosynthesis and Respiration through Kinesthetics and Inquiry
Purpose:
To provide middle or high school students with a situation in which they can explore the relationship between photosynthesis and respiration.
Objectives:
Part I
Students will be able to:
· recognize the photosynthesis equation is basically the respiration equation “backwards.”
· realize that the very same carbon molecules that heterotrophs breathe out are the carbon molecules that make up the backbone of the glucose molecule.
· write the equations for photosynthesis and respiration with coefficients and subscripts
Procedure:
Part I. Kinesthetic activity. Each student is given the role of a molecule of carbon, hydrogen, or oxygen. Depending on the size of your class, some students may need to be assigned the role of two molecules of the same element. For example, you may need to give one student two “H’s” instead of one “H.” If you have a large open area in your classroom, you can conduct this part of the activity inside. Otherwise, you will need to plan to go outdoors, into the hallway, or even to the school gymnasium or cafeteria.
Once you arrive at your destination, hold up the poster board with the equation for photosynthesis facing the students. First, instruct the students to position themselves so that they represent the reactants of the photosynthesis equation. (Remember to assign a student to the role of “sun,” “+” and “yields”.) Once students have gotten into the correct positions give each group of molecules the name of the substance that they represent (carbon dioxide or water).
Next, have the students position themselves so that they represent the products of the photosynthesis equation. Once the students have positioned themselves correctly give each group of molecules the name of the substance they represent (glucose or oxygen). The idea is that students will realize that the very same carbon atoms that make up carbon dioxide make up the backbone for the glucose molecule. Now hold up the respiration equation. First have the students position themselves to represent the reactants for respiration. Again, when they are correctly positioned, give the names of the substances that they represent to the groups of molecules (oxygen and glucose).
Next, have the students position themselves so that they represent the products of the respiration equation. Once the students have positioned themselves, give the groups of molecules the names of the substances they represent (carbon dioxide and water).
I like this activity as an inquiry activity because it visually and kinesthetically shows the students that the reactants become the products, and that cellular respiration is basically just the backwards reaction of photosynthesis. I feel that it is important for students to discover this concept through inquiry, because the students are more likely to understand and grasp the concept.
The science practice this teaches is the concepts of the photosynthesis reaction and cellular respiration reaction, through discovery and inquiry. These are major concepts in biology. I feel that this is a very important concept for students to understand because many more topics stem from this.
I plan to assess the students of understanding of these concepts through a series of informal and formal assessments which include asking review questions, filling in a photosynthesis concept map, playing a review game for this chapter, and finally a chapter test.
I will have the students utilize their prior knowledge of gel electrophoresis (previous period) and tackle an inquiry activity that allows them to solve a mystery based by evaluating DNA samples. The students will have the DNA of fish poachers. One of the fisherman worked in a restricted area. DNA was collected from the restricted area. Having multiple samples of DNA, the students will have to utilize their prior knowledge of the structure of DNA as well as the function of gel electrophoresis to solve this mystery.
In terms of scientific practices, the students will have to create questions that will allow them to formulate a hypothesis (who did it?). The students will also need to have an understanding of the effect of contamination of lab equipment on results. The students will have to utilize their knowledge of the DNA structure when analyzing the results. The students will also have ask the appropriate questions if they do not obtain the results that are consistent with their hypothesis. Ultimately, the students are using this lab to create a product, a gel with multiple DNA samples that have separated under electrophoresis. With this data, the students will have to analyze the separation patterns and form a conclusion about the fisherman who worked in the restricted area.
I will evaluate the students by having the students complete a take-home test that evaluates their comprehension and application of DNA technology for practical purposes. From the results of the gel electrophoresis activity, the students will have to investigate the DNA samples of the suspects and compare it to the DNA sample found at the scene. On the test, the students will be asked to outline their scientific thinking (questions, hypothesis, analysis of results, extrapolation and conclusion) from start to finish.